Spicy Butternut Squash Soup with Paprika Halloumi Croutons

I love butternut squash, and I love halloumi.. so when I found both in my fridge I decided to make something using both. This soup is lovely- the smoked paprika and chilli complement the rich flavour of the roasted butternut squash and the grilled halloumi works surprisingly well!

I love autumn, how the seasonal vegetables are vibrant and orange, and how the leaves all follow suit- its lovely. This soup has a nice kick from the chilli to warm you up on a cold autumnal day, and is heart enough to fill you up, too.

The only thing is, the croutons are so moreish that they probably won't last as long as the soup!

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 medium onion
2 carrots
1 large potato
1 clove minced garlic
600ml vegetable stock
3 tsp smoked paprika
1tsp chilli powder
2tbs oil
225g halloumi cheese 
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
(preheat the oven to 180 celsius)

1. Chop the butternut squash in half, separating the bulb from the neck. Chop the neck in half, this time, lengthways, remove the seeds and score all the way across with a sharp knife. Sprinkle the flesh with salt, paprika and garlic powder then drizzle with a little oil. Rub the spices into the squash, then place in the oven for 30 minutes
2. Meanwhile, slice the onion, peel and cube the rest of the squash, carrots and potato
3. Heat 2tbs oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, fry the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetables and spices and stir so the onions and spices coat all of the vegetables
4. Add 200ml of stock and turn up the heat. When the soup reaches boiling, place the lid on the saucepan and reduce the heat to medium/low
5. Leave to sweat for 15 minutes
6. When the oven roasted squash is soft, scrape out the flesh and add to the soup. Add the rest of the stock and bring to the boil for 5 minutes
7. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend

For halloumi croutons

1. Preheat the grill to a high setting
2. Cut halloumi into small squares of about 1cm
3. Place in a bowl and add a heaped teaspoon of smoked paprika, stir to coat
4. Tip onto a baking sheet in a single layer and grill for 3 minutes before turning and placing back under the grill for another 3 minutes until brown round the edges- they taste better crispy!

Enjoy! :) x